1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a home health care system and, more particularly to a health care information interfacing system including various sensors for collecting health care information, hereinafter referred to as biodata, from a patient or a user at home for use with regard to his or her own home health care and/or for transmission to a health care provider at a remote location for remote medical diagnosis.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various biodata interfacing systems of a kind referred to above have been suggested. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,745, issued Feb. 2, 1999, and U.S. Ser. No. 6,014,432, issued Jan. 11, 2000. The exemplary biodata interfacing system is generally made up of two separated stations, a patient station and a health care provider station. The patient station includes various sensors for measurement of biodata such as, body temperature, blood pressure, pulsation, brain waves and/or heart beat of a patient at home, and a transmitter for transmitting, wireless or over a public telecommunication network, that biodata to a health care provider at a remote location. The patient station also includes a receiver and a display unit for receiving and displaying results of diagnosis and/or instructions from the health care provider, respectively. The biodata interfacing system is indeed efficient and convenient in that the patient need not visit the health care provider for measurement of the biodata and the health care provider can make a quick decision on the received biodata.
It is to be noted that the term xe2x80x9chealth care providerxe2x80x9d hereinabove and hereinafter used is intended to encompass not only a hospital or a doctor, but also a health care or day-service nurse or any other person or facility commissioned or requested to take care of health and/or medical conditions of a patient or any other user of the patient station.
The standard patient station, hereinafter referred to as a home biodata interfacing device, will now be described with reference to FIG. 39. The biodata interfacing device shown therein includes a service console 201, various sensors for measurement of biodata on body temperature, blood pressure and pulsation, although only a clinical thermometer 202 is shown, a display unit 203 for providing visual presentation of measurements detected by the sensors and also for providing visual presentation of how to use the home biodata interfacing device, a lead line 204 connected between the clinical thermometer 202 and the service console 201 for transmitting a body temperature of the patient from the clinical thermometer 202 to the service console 201 and, optionally, a telephone line 205 for transmitting the biodata over a public telecommunication network.
When the home biodata interfacing device is in use, the patient or user (his or her family member or visiting health care nurse) at home can have the home body temperature measured with the thermometer 202, and the measured body temperature is then transmitted through the lead line 204 to the service console 201 from which it is subsequently displayed on the display unit 203 and/or transmitted to a health care provider over a public telecommunication network such as, for example, a public telephone system. The health care provider when receiving the measured body temperature of the patient from the service console 200 over the public telephone system may make at a remote location a diagnosis on health conditions of the patient. However, even if the telephone line 205 is not connected to the public telephone system, with a built-in transmitter held inactive, the service console 200 can serve the purpose of providing information to the patient and/or user.
The home biodata interfacing device now in use has a problem in that the patient and/or user have difficulty looking at the display window because the display unit 203 is not positioned in a fashion friendly to the patient and/or user.
In a certain home biodata interfacing device now in use, since the display unit and a lid or cover constitute members separate from each other, the home biodata interfacing device itself tends to be bulkier than necessary and is therefore less handsome in appearance, not easy to carry and inconvenient with regard to storage and transportation. Without the lid or cover, the sensors are exposed to the outside of the service console and this is objectionable in terms of hygienic aspects
Also, unless the lid or cover is opened, no one can look at the display window. This is indeed inconvenient particularly where the home biodata interfacing device is to be used only for reconfirmation of past measurements without the sensors being used.
As a matter of design, the currently used home biodata interfacing device includes some operating buttons each allocated for one type of biodata measurement. The greater the number of the operating buttons, the more difficult and inconvenient for the user to input date through the operating buttons. If the operating buttons are arranged crowded in a limited area, an erroneous inputting (key-in) would be highly likely to occur. On the other hand, increase of the size of each operating button and/or increase of space between neighboring operating buttons, both in an attempt to minimize the erroneous inputting, would result in increase of the size of the service console.
A home biodata interfacing device is also known in which the display unit is incorporated into the lid or cover as is the case with a note-sized personal computer, and is configured to have a touch screen having a plurality of touch-sensitive areas functionally corresponding to keys in a keypad. Access to the touch screen can be made only when the lid or cover is opened or pivoted to an erected position. In such case, assuming that the lid or cover is held at the erected position that is at right angles or an obtuse angle to a console body, application of a finger pressure to a selected one of the touch-sensitive areas would often result in lifting of the console body above a support surface, for example, a desk top, and the service console including the console body and the display unit would eventually turn backwards.
Where the console body and the lid or cover is hingedly connected together, it is often observed that the home biodata interfacing device may be allowed to stand with the lid or cover left opened, in which case dust may pile up on the console body and/or water may spill onto the console body. This would lead to a detrimental problem with regard to the functionality of the home biodata interfacing device.
An additional problem is also pointed out in that if the lid or cover is excessively opened relative to the console body, connections between the lid or cover and the console body would be damaged.
Connector sockets for connecting the sensors to the console body are generally installed in one of opposite side walls of the console body so as to line up in a row extending front to rear. If one of the connector sockets closest to the user occupying a position in face-to-face relation with the erected display unit is occupied by a plug-in connector of one of the sensors, the user would experience difficulty looking and/or making access to the remaining connectors. This may lead to a difficulty or error in making connection between another plug-in connector with one of the remaining connector sockets. In addition, opening of the lid or cover would result in inadvertent collision with and, hence, damage to the home biodata interfacing device and/or an object situated rearwardly of the home biodata interfacing device.
While the home biodata interfacing device is designed to transmit the measured biodata over, for example, the public telephone system to the health care provider at a remote location so that the health care provider can make a diagnosis or examination with reference to the biodata presented to the health care provider station. It may, however, often occur that the health care provider cannot make a sufficient diagnosis because lack of a function available in the home biodata interfacing device. By way of example, it may often occur that the health care provider may wish to secure biodata such as the patient""s complexion, condition of the wound or skin that cannot be expressed with numerical values. In such case, the home biodata interfacing device would require an extra audio and/or video transmission device for transmitting audio and/or video information that enables the health care provider to listen to and/or view the conditions of the patient through audiovisual equipment at the health care provider station.
Furthermore, the home biodata interfacing device would be highly needed by aged people living depopulated areas, and most of those aged people are less familiar with how to handle medical home equipment and computer terminals. On the other hand, some of the medical equipment such as, for example, a cardiograph or stethoscope of a kind a doctor or nurse applies directly to a patient would give rise to erroneous data when the patient himself or herself uses it for data acquisition. To avoid this possibility, the patient or user has to review the how-to description or manual.
However, it would not be easy for aged, but presbyopic people to look not only at the how-to description or manual, but also legends embossed or printed in the home biodata interfacing device to indicate types of connector sockets. Erroneous manipulation and line connection would result in presentation of erroneous biodata and, therefore, the health care provider would not be able to make an accurate diagnosis.
With the numerous disadvantages and inconveniences found in the existing home biodata interfacing device, an object of the present invention is to provide a home biodata interfacing device of a kind which is stable, compact in size, and easy to use and in which a display unit is easy to view.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a home biodata interfacing device which has a large capacity of accommodating various sensors easily and is hygienically acceptable without allowing the sensors to be contaminated with dust.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a highly reliable home biodata interfacing device that can transmit various biodata including audio and/or video information to a remote location assuredly.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a home biodata interfacing device having an increased operativity which is effective to avoid erroneous manipulation and erroneous line connection.
In order to accomplish these and other objects and features of the present invention, there is provided a biodata interfacing device which includes a service console, an attachment storage compartment defined in the service console for accommodating a variety of sensors used for collecting biodata, a lid mounted on the service console for opening and closing a top opening of the attachment storage compartment, and a display unit formed on an upper surface of the lid. Since the display unit is formed on the upper surface of the lid, the user can readily and easily look at the display unit and, accordingly, the biodata interfacing device can be conveniently manipulated by the user.
Also, the biodata interfacing device can be assembled compact and lightweight and, accordingly, numerous conveniences can be appreciated by the user in that the biodata interfacing device can be easily transported from place to place and can be stored in a relatively small space. At the same time, any possible contamination of the sensors is prevented to increase the hygienic factor.
The user can look at the display unit even though the lid is closed, i.e., in position to close the top opening of the instrument storage compartment in the service console, and the biodata interfacing device itself can be used not only for transmitting the biodata to the health care provider at a remote location, but also for reconfirming past biodata and/or acknowledging a time of dosage of medicines without the sensors being used.
Preferably, the lid is configured to incline downwardly towards a position of a user of the biodata interfacing device so that user""s viewing the information displayed can be facilitated along with increase in operativity of the biodata interfacing device.
The display unit may additionally include a touch panel. The additional use of the touch panel is effective to reduce the number of operating buttons which would otherwise be required, resulting in compactness of the biodata interfacing device as a whole along with increase of operativity thereof. Also, the possibility of the biodata interfacing device turning backward when a pushing force is horizontally applied is eliminated to thereby increase stability of the biodata interfacing device.
The use of a recess that results in a partial increase of a gap between the service console and the lid is effective to avoid any possible biting of a connecting cable extending between the service console and an external sensor which would otherwise hamper a complete closure of the lid, and which would otherwise result in damage to the connecting cable.
The service console may have a terminal unit provided on an upper surface of the service console and through which the sensors positioned externally of the service console communicate with the service console. This is particularly advantageous and effective to avoid such a problem in that if one of the connector sockets closest to the user occupying a position in face-to-face relation with the erected display unit is occupied by a plug-in connector of one of the sensors, the user would experience difficulty in looking at and/or accessing the remaining connectors.
The service console and the lid are preferably connected to each other through a hinged connection about which the lid pivots relative to the service console. In such case, if the hinged connection has a damping mechanism, the lid once opened will not be left opened and, accordingly, there is no possibility of dust piling up inside the service console and also of water spilling into the service console.
Where a projection, operable to interfere with the service console to limit a pivotal movement of the lid before the lid is pivoted to a limit defined by a hinged connection between the lid and the service console, is provided in either the lid or the service console, any possible damage to the hinged connection can advantageously be avoided.
The biodata interfacing device of the present invention is preferably provided with an instrument canister enabling the sensors to be accommodated within the attachment storage compartment in a form as accommodated in the instrument canister. The use of the instrument canister is particularly advantageous in that plural sensors can be removed from the attachment storage compartment all at a single time and, on the other hand, the plural sensors can be stored in an orderly fashion as accommodated in the instrument canister.
The instrument canister may have a plurality of pockets each contoured to correspond to the shape of a respective sensor so that the sensors can be snugly accommodated within dedicated recesses in the instrument canister. Once the sensors are accommodated within the associated pockets, the sensors will not arbitrarily move and/or collide against each other within the service console during, for example, transportation of the biodata interfacing device from place to place and, therefore, any possible damage to the sensors can advantageously be eliminated. Also, even though the instrument canister is removed from the instrument storage compartment, the sensors remain orderly arranged in the instrument canister.
The instrument canister may include a plurality of in-box trays each for accommodating a particular combination of the sensors. In such case, in the event that the combination of the sensors changes to another combination, replacement of one in-box tray accommodating the current combination of the sensors with another in-box tray accommodating the new combination of the sensors is sufficient to enable the new combination of the sensors to be accommodated within the instrument storage compartment through such another in-box tray. Accordingly, if the plural in-box trays accommodating different combinations of the sensors are made available, a single biodata interfacing device can be utilized using the sensors of a different combination merely by replacing the in-box tray with another one.
Alternatively, the instrument canister may include a plurality of in-box trays each for accommodating one of the sensors. In such case, even when change occurs in one of the sensors, replacement of the in-box tray used to accommodate such one of the sensors is sufficient to accommodate a new sensor.
The instrument canister may include at least one pair of grooves in combination with a partitioning structure removably engaged in the grooves to define a partition room corresponding in shape to a shape of one of the sensors. In such case, repositioning the partitioning structure is effective to increase or decrease the volume of partition room in the instrument canister to suit to the shape of a particular sensor with no cost incurred.
The instrument canister may have at least a portion thereof capable of being stacked in a direction heightwise thereof. In such case, the number of the sensors each having a relatively small thickness that can be accommodated in the instrument canister can be increased to thereby maximize the limited space available in the instrument canister. The capability of accommodating the increased number of the sensors brings about an advantage in that the biodata interfacing device can be used by those who require use of as many sensors as possible, without the size of the biodata interfacing device being increased.
If a space is defined between the instrument canister and the attachment storage compartment in the service console, the sensors will not be adversely affected by heat evolved from electronic component parts built into the service console, and are therefore substantially free from thermal stresses. This means that the sensors can be kept thermally stable, resulting in accurate measurement of biodata from the patient.
The instrument canister may be provided with a handle for facilitating removal thereof from the attachment storage compartment.
Preferably, the instrument canister is provided with identifying structure for identifying a type of the instrument canister, which cooperates with a reading device provided in the service console for reading the identifying structure. In such case, a mode override structure built into the service console will change a mode of operation of the biodata interfacing device according to a result of reading of the identifying structure by the reading device. Replacement of the instrument canister can effectively select one of the operating modes automatically and, therefore, no manual changeover operation is required even when a combination of the sensors is changed.
Again, the biodata interfacing device of the present invention may be equipped with a camera unit. This camera unit is preferably detachably provided on an outer surface of the service console. The use of the camera unit enables transmission of an image of the complexion of the patient together with transmission of the measured biodata to the health care provider at a remote location. The camera unit can also be used for imaging an affected region of the patient when removed from the service console.
A microphone if desired may be provided in the service console, so that voiced explanation of, for example, the affected zone of the patient can be transmitted together with the image captured by the camera unit, if so required by a doctor.
In order for the camera unit to be used in image capture at any location without the position of the biodata interfacing device being changed, the camera unit is preferably pivotable at a mounting area on an outer surface of the service console. Detachment of the camera unit from the service console may be carried out by a holder provided in the camera unit, and an engagement provided on the outer surface of the service console that is detachably engageable with the holder. Also, the camera unit may be pivotally engaged in a holding portion, and alternatively or in combination therewith, the holder of the camera unit has a grip defined therein which a user can grip externally. If this grip is of a generally cylindrical shape and is detachable by inserting it into a recess formed in the outer surface of the service console, not only can the user grip the camera unit comfortably, but also the camera unit can be aimed in any direction conveniently.
Alternatively, the camera unit may include a camera body and a camera support, with the camera body being removably mounted on the camera support.
Arrangement may also be made so that at least one of the camera body, the camera support and the holder can be accommodated within the instrument storage compartment when they are not in use.
The microphone is preferably of a type capable of receiving both a human voice and a voice signal from a sensor positioned in the vicinity of the microphone. Where the microphone is used, the microphone is preferably enclosed by an elastic member which is in turn fixed inside the service console. The use of the elastic member is effective to minimize transmission of external noises or vibrations to the microphone and, accordingly the microphone can transmit a voice signal noiselessly.
A voice outputting instrument may be supported by a support member disposed in front of the microphone for supporting a sensor for outputting a voice signal. This is particularly advantageous if the user needs to hold the voice outputting instrument in his or her hand when transmitting voices thereto and, therefore, noiseless transmission of voices is possible.
Preferably, the support member disposed in front of the microphone is removable or slidable according to a shape of the sensor for outputting the voice signal. This support member can be removed and stored somewhere when no voice outputting instrument is needed in the biodata interfacing device. Accordingly, the presence of the support member will not provide an obstruction nor an eyesore. Moreover, even if the size of the voice outputting instrument changes to a smaller or larger one, the support member when slidable is effective to accommodate such smaller or larger voice outputting instrument.
The biodata interfacing device in one embodiment of the present invention may include a main control unit, a plurality of sensors for collecting biodata from a patient and converting them into physical signals, a terminal unit including a plurality of connecting terminals corresponding respectively to the sensors and for transmitting the biodata therefrom to the main control unit, and an operating unit and a display unit for interfacing the main control unit and a user for performing communication therebetween. When the user selects one of the sensors through the operating unit, the main control unit makes use of the display unit to provide the user with an indication of one of the connecting terminals of the terminal unit which corresponds to the selected sensor.
The biodata interfacing device in another embodiment of the present invention may include a main control unit, a plurality of sensors for collecting biodata from a patient and converting them into physical signals, a terminal unit including a plurality of connecting terminals corresponding respectively to the sensors and for transmitting the biodata therefrom to the main control unit, an operating unit through which a user communicates with the main control unit, and a plurality of light emitting diodes disposed adjacent the connecting terminals. When the user selects one of the sensors through the operating unit, the main control unit has a function of turning on one of the light emitting diodes which corresponds to the selected sensor.
The biodata interfacing device in a further embodiment of the present invention may include a main control unit, a plurality of medical measuring instruments for collecting biodata from a patient and converting them into physical signals, a terminal unit including a plurality of connecting terminals corresponding respectively to the medical measuring instruments and for transmitting the biodata therefrom to the main control unit, an operating unit and a voice output unit through which a user communicates with the main control unit. When the user selects one of the medical measuring instruments through the operating unit, the main control unit makes use of the voice output unit to provide the user with an audio indication of one of the connecting terminals of the terminal unit which corresponds to the selected medical measuring instrument.
In any case, the terminal unit preferably has a plurality of connecting terminals and a plurality of colored indications, one for each of the connecting terminals and disposed adjacent the connecting terminals, and the main control unit has a function of informing the user through the display unit of one of the colored indications that corresponds to the selected sensor. Alternatively or in combination therewith, each of the sensors comprises a sensor body and a connecting cable for electrically connecting the sensor body to the connecting terminal. A portion of the sensors are colored in a predetermined color, and the terminal unit has respective portions adjacent the associated connecting terminals that are colored in different colors corresponding to respective colors of those portions of the sensors.
Again, alternatively or in combination therewith, the connecting cables of the sensors may have different shapes and the connecting terminals of the terminal unit have correspondingly different shapes, such that only when the shapes of one connecting cable and a corresponding terminal match with each other can the connecting cable and a corresponding terminal member be electrically connected together.